Strictly this is not true. Christopher Eccleston played the Son of God in The Second Coming a couple of years ago. This weekend he plays the Doctor in the BBC's multi-million pound revival of Doctor Who. My favourite programme ever, including the Clangers. Now I know I have gone on about this before but this is the nearest thing to the BBC offering to make my own show that will ever happen to me and so I am a tad excited. Of course if some BBC exec read this and wish to prove me wrong then I am perfectly happy to discuss my idea for a Haddock based comedy program.

Anywho, that aside, Doctor Who. This Saturday at seven o'clock on BBC1¹. After sixteen years of waiting they are finally to show a new series. There have been so many rumours (John Cleese/Paul Daniels as the Doctor), false dawns (Dimensions in Time/The TV Movie with the Pertwee Logo) and even epitaphs (Curse of the Fatal Death) that I still can't truly believe that it is returning. Perhaps that Dalek in human clothing Michael Grade will still have a trick to play. I shall find out on Saturday.

One of the great things about this time is how many respected people have appeared in the newspapers, on radio and television to confess that they, too, are fans. It makes me feel that I am not some sad wee blokey hiding in a cupboard full of Who ephemera but rather one of a large group, covering this land, of perfectly normal people with an perfectly healthy interest in a popular TV programme. Well at least so long as no one mentions the PC I just bought specifically to act as a hard disk video recorder for the series.

This will be vitally important this weekend as I shall be away. At Eastercon, the British National Science Fiction convention. Not that I don't intend to watch it of course but one must be prepared for all eventualities. The convention has promised to show the programme on a big screen but I am not sure I want my first sight of new Who since 1989 (I know I have missed out the TV Movie but it was a one-off American side step to my mind. Although Paul McGann counts as a Doctor in my fannish chronology) to be in the company of five hundred other people at least a third of whom are not Who fans and may wish to comment, critique or get up for a pint halfway through. I could not be held responsible for my actions.

Thus I intend to invite a select few to my hotel room to watch and enjoy the premiere and, hopefully, join me in discussing how great it was afterwards. And then probably getting very drunk afterwards. Whither they will all want to join me on the Sunday night for the repeat is unknown though.

So, if you live in Britain, go and watch it this weekend. Help give it that huge rating we all hope it will get. Thank you.

Next Time: The non-Who bits of Eastercon perchance? What are the odds.

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